Dissemination
One of FUNDAR's objectives is to disseminate the archaeological heritage of El Salvador. As is summarized below, we have done this in several ways.
Participation and Sponsorship: Archaeological Congresses and Round Tables
Participation in the Forum on Cultural Heritage (2010)
Presentations in Schools on Local Archaeology
Guided Visits to Archaeological Sites
Collaboration with the News Media
Participation in Museum Exhibitions
Reports, Papers, and Publications
Participation and Sponsorship: Archaeological Congresses and Round Tables
FUNDAR was the co-sponsor of the First, Second, and Third Central
American Congresses of Archaeology held in San Salvador in 2005,
2007, and 2009. The main sponsor and organizer of the congresses was the
"Dr. David J. Guzmán" National Museum of Anthropology (known
by its Spanish acronym, MUNA), under the direction of Archaeologist Gregorio
Bello Suazo.
Together with CONCULTURA, FUNDAR organized and participated in the Round Table on Conservation Measures for Joya de Cerén in 2005. This technical meeting was important in arriving at a consensus in order to establish, for the first time, the routine conservation procedures appropriate for our only UNESCO World Heritage site. The public was informed of the results of this meeting, and the procedures were immediately applied at Joya de Cerén.
FUNDAR has sponsored two round tables concerning the Cihuatán and Las Marías sites.
The keynote conference at the Second Central American Congress of Archaeology was about the Maya Collapse and was presented by Mexican Archaeologist Ernesto Vargas Pacheco.
The Round Table on Conservation Measures for Joya de Cerén was a technical meeting, but it was also meant to share its results with the public which is very concerned about this World Heritage site. ABOVE: On the left, Carolina Castellanos, Françoise Descamps (both from the Getty Conservation Institute), Fabio Amador, and Federico Hernández (CONCULTURA) in front of Structure 4 at Joya de Cerén. In the photo on the right, news media interview participant Gregorio Bello Suazo (Director of the National Museum). BELOW: One of the newspaper articles published about the results of the round table.
Participation in the Forum on Cultural Heritage, 2010
FUNDAR participated in the Forum on Cultural Heritage held on July 8-10, 2010. The forum was sponsored by the Secretaría de Cultura, and was organized by Dr. Ramón Rivas (National Director of Cultural Heritage) and Lic. Jorge Colorado (click here to read a newspaper article about the forum). On July 22, 2010, FUNDAR presented the organizers with the written version of its proposal read at the forum Click here to read FUNDAR's proposal, entitled Acciones prioritarias para la protección del patrimonio arqueológico (Prioritary actions for the protection of archaeological heritage).
Presentations at Schools on Local Archaeology
FUNDAR has given talks at schools about local archaeology, especially to young people who live in or near archaeological sites, like Las Marías. We hope these talks help provide an understanding about their cultural heritage, and thus contribute to its protection.
Here Angélica Amaya, a teacher at the Centro Educativo Tacachico (located on the former hacienda Tacachico in the jurisdiction of Quezaltepeque) shows posters prepared with FUNDAR about the Pueblo Viejo Las Marías archaeological site. Her students live around the site, which they call Pueblo Viejo (Old Town).
Two groups of local students on FUNDAR tours of the Las Marías site. An important topic is the protection of this immense site, and as shown in the photo on the right a recently excavated looters pit is used to discuss the problem of archaeological depredation and illicit traffic of artifacts.
Guided Visits to Archaeological Sites
FUNDAR organizes guided visits so that the public can learn more about archaeological sites. Visits have included Joya de Cerén, San Andrés, Gruta del Espíritu Santo (Corinto), the Lake Güija region and, of course, Cihuatán.
A guided visit to Cihuatán.
Collaboration with the News Media
FUNDAR has collaborated in numerous articles and interviews with the mass media about our investigations and other archaeological topics. These assume notable importance when one considers that the main sources of information for our public are television, radio, and newspapers.
Above: Newspaper article based on an interview with Fabio Amador about excavations at Cihuatán sponsored by FUNDAR.
Below: Other articles about Cihuatán from interviews with José Salguero (head of the site until his untimely death in 2007) and Paul Amaroli
While traditional media continue to be important within El Salvador, Internet allows our efforts at dissemination to reach worldwide. FUNDAR has two websites, that which you are now viewing (www.fundar.org.sv) and another dedicated to the Cihuatán Project (www.cihuatan.org).
The portal to www.cihuatan.org
Participation in Museum Expositions
FUNDAR participated in the organization and sponsorship of the exposition Los Pipiles de El Salvador (The Pipil of El Salvador) which opened at the National Museum in November, 2004.
The Los Pipiles de El Salvador Exhibition. Above: The facade of the National Museum and a general view of the exhibition. Below: Opening night, and Rodrigo Brito (President of FUNDAR) with Gregorio Bello Suazo (Director of the National Museum).
FUNDAR periodically offers public conferences about our investigations and other topics in archaeology. FUNDAR has also given talks by invitation of municipalities about archaeological sites in their jurisdictions (see Collaboration with Local Governments and Other Entities). The Archaeologists who have participated include: Karen Bruhns, Fabio Amador, Matilde Gil, Elisenda Coladan, and Paul Amaroli.
Newspaper announcement for a conference given about investigations at Cihuatán by Paul Amaroli and Fabio Amador (2002).
Conference announcements. From left to right, "Xipe Tótec, Nuestro Señor El Desollado" (Xipe Tótec, Our Lord the Flayed One), "Caluco, una Historia Escrita en Cacao" (Caluco: Historia Written in Chocolate) which was given to benefit the restoration of that town's historic church, and "Caucho y Piedra: 38 siglos del Juego de Pelota en Mesoamérica" (Rubber and Stone: 38 Centuries of the Ball Game in Mesoamerica).
In June, 2009, FUNDAR presented the conference titled "El Palacio de los Señores de Cihuatán" (The Palace of the Lords of Cihuatán) before an audience of approximately 400 people. You can watch a video from that talk, with a tentative digital reconstruction of the palace, by clicking here.
During the first half of 2010, FUNDAR presented a series of 5 monthly conferences about different topics in Salvadoran archaeology:
Reports, Papers, and Publications
The results of the investigations conducted by FUNDAR have been presented in diverse reports, read papers, and publications.
